Choices
by Quaggy
Summary: Post-Ep for Season 2 finale. Written out of frustration with Zuko's choices in The Crossroads of Destiny. Mentions of Katara/Zuko.


Title: Choices  
Original Published: Dec. 18, 2006  
Rating: PG  
Pairing: Katara/Zuko  
Notes: Post-Ep for Season 2 finale. I was feeling pretty grumpy about Zuko's choices at the end of season two and wrote this as a response.

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The war was over. Things were finally as they should be. The new Fire Lord… the true Fire Lord would not use the comet's arrival for his own nefarious purposes. (Though you suspected that somehow it would mean more tea for everyone whether they wanted it or not in the very near future.)

For the first time, you decide what you want out of life without duty and responsibility influencing your choice. You don't really know where you are going, both literally and figuratively. But maybe if you keep moving, you'll figure it out. Unfortunately, Sokka of the Water Tribe has other plans.

"All this time, you've been one of the good guys!" he exclaims, appearing out of nowhere and impeding you by grabbing your upper arm.

"Have I?" you scoff. "And here I thought I'd been following my own agenda all this time."

"The Fire Rebels sought _us_ out and _you're_ the leader," he shoots back with a raised eyebrow.

"You're confusing me with my mother," you say and attempt to move on, but he grips you tightly. You could probably break free… but not without causing a commotion. The last thing anybody needs is for rumors to start flying about a fight between the Fire Lord's nephew and the Avatar's most trusted advisor. Besides, you like the idiot and you wouldn't actually want to hurt him.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Sokka persists.

"Words can very easily be lies," you explain. "Especially when your actions tell a different story."

"But that was because you were a double agent."

"Not originally. At first my plan was just to get home. To see what was happening in my country for myself. To find about what I could about my mother's fate. But to do that, I had to get to Azula trust me."

"Yeah... I wouldn't have wanted to trade places with you. No offence, but your sister is absolutely crazy."

"She's not crazy. Just very, very cold. But I knew I had one advantage over her. She considered me her inferior, so she regularly underestimated me. But I knew that Azula was more fierce and conniving than I ever could be, so I never underestimated her. My plan was to get into a position where I could contact the Fire Rebels. It was pure luck that my mother was their Dragon Lord. Not even my uncle knew that."

"Your uncle agreed to this?"

"Reluctantly. He said my plan was too risky. Which it was. I wasn't even sure I could go through with it until the last possible moment."

"Why did you then?"

"Because I realized Aang would never trust me no matter what I did. It was better that I stayed with my original plan. My sister didn't trust me either, but that worked to my advantage."

"_That's_ why?! Come on! None of us trusted you. I know I sure didn't. At least not until Toph told me differently."

"How did she know?"

"Earth-bending. Something to do with the way you were carrying yourself. Or rather the way the Fire Rebels' Red Dragon was carrying himself. Masks don't fool her. She knew it was you and that you were trying to hide your identity, not your intentions. We would have believed you if you had come to us before just like we trusted your uncle."

"You don't understand, Sokka. It's... complicated."

"Try me."

"I love your sister. I don't know when or how it happened, but I do. I realized it that night in the cave. And then Aang took one look at me and knew what I felt right away. Just like I knew what he felt for Katara. He'll never trust me and I don't blame him."

"You... He... Does Katara...?"

"Katara has no idea how I feel and I'd like to keep it that way."

"But why?"

"I don't want to... make things difficult."

"Difficult?"

"She made her choice long ago, before I even realized who I was or what I wanted. Telling her would serve no purpose."

Sokka releases your arm and you continue on your way. The truth always had a funny way of unnerving people.

"You know, you did make one tiny little mistake," Sokka's voice calls out after you. Startled, you freeze in your tracks. You turn and are faced with his knowing smirk. "You actually reassured Katara that you _had_ changed."

"And then I attacked her with a fireball."

"Yeah, well Katara is strange like that," he shrugs. "She believes in people. I don't know what you said to her before, but apparently it was enough for her to make up her mind about you. And oh, yeah... she knew it was you behind the mask before Toph clued the rest of us in. But don't tell her if you feel more comfortable. It's your choice."

You stand there, stunned as _he_ now walks away. And you thought you were confused before.


End file.
